Bruins move within two points of Lightning
BOSTON (AP) -- A quiet trading deadline move may have balanced the Bruins' lines going into the playoffs.
Michael Nylander scored his first goal of the season 2:52 into the third period Saturday to lift Boston to a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in a matchup of the Eastern Conference's top two teams.
Nylander, acquired March 4 in a trade with Washington for a 2006 second-round draft pick, had missed the first 63 games of the season with a broken leg. But since he joined the Bruins, he has had six assists in eight games before his goal.
"I think he's obviously a dynamic player," Boston coach Mike Sullivan said. "We knew exactly what we were getting when we got him."
Nylander boosts Boston's second line, which includes Sergei Samsonov and Travis Green. In the past, the Bruins have relied heavily on their high-scoring top line of Joe Thornton, Glen Murray and Mike Knuble.
"I think its tough to win in this league with one or two guys," Sullivan said. "To win in this league you have to rely on contributions throughout the lineup."
Nylander, sent in all alone on a pass from Nick Boynton, fired a wrist shot by goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin inside the left post for the winner.
"I thought I was pretty much open," he said. "I thought maybe there was a defenseman on the left side, but maybe they made a bad change."
The Bruins, who rallied from a 3-0 deficit, moved two points behind Tampa Bay for the conference's best record. The Lightning have lost three of their last four.
"If we're going to win the playoffs, that game should [have been] over," Lightning left wing Dave Andreychuk said.
Brian Rolston, Green, Sergei Gonchar and Thornton scored for Boston, which entered the day one point ahead of Ottawa and Toronto for first place in the Northeast Division.
The Bruins improved to 15-0-5 in their last 20 games at home against the Lightning.
Fredrik Modin had a pair of goals for the Tampa Bay. Andreychuk and Pavel Kubina scored the others.
"It's always nice to be up 3-0. But against a team like that, if you sit back you're going to get chewed apart," Tampa Bay defenseman Dan Boyle said.
Andrew Raycroft made 36 saves for Boston.
The Bruins, who trailed 3-1 after one, scored three goals in the opening 7:11 of the second period. Green one-timed Nylander's pass 31 seconds into the period.
Boston made it 3-3 when Gonchar's slap shot from the right circle broke into the net off Khabibulin's glove. The shot appeared to be going wide before he tried to catch it.
"The two biggest plays of the game were us letting them score late in the first period and the lousy third goal to make 3-3," Lightning coach John Tortorella said.
Thornton's power-play goal gave the Bruins a 4-3 lead when he shoveled in a shot from the slot, but the Lightning tied it on Modin's wrist shot from between the circles 2:19 later.
Tampa Bay, which outshot Boston 17-11 in the opening period, grabbed a 3-0 lead 18:08 into the game. Kubina stole a puck in front and slipped a wrist shot by Raycroft at 3:08.
Andreychuk scored off Tim Taylor's rebound to give the Lightning a 2-0 lead at 15:06. They increased it to 3-0 when Cory Stillman's cross-ice pass bounced into the net off the chest of linemate Modin.
Boston started its comeback on Rolston's goal with 1:12 left in the period.
Game notes
Boston's only loss at home against Tampa Bay was 3-0 on April 9, 1994. ... It was the 26th time in 29 games the Lightning scored three or more goals. ... It was Boston's most goals at home since a 5-4 win against Atlanta on Feb. 3. ... Ray Bourque and Cam Neely, their numbers retired by the Bruins, were in attendance.